Cuff link



Dec. 24, 1940- w. RUBENSTEIN CUFF LINK FiledDec.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ,2 Claims.

The present invention is directed to improved and serviceable cuff holding means including as one of its objects the provision of novel, simpliiied, and conveniently operable means to sustain the free ends of a cuff in a relatively wideseparated relation to p-ermit the projection of an arm of the wearer through the cuff. The invention has as afurther object the provision of a cuff holding device having a telescopic'shank adapted to be readily operated to widely separate the spaced cuff holdingmember thereof and adapted tobe conveniently contracted to holdthe spaced cuif holding members in a relatively close relation. The finvention has as a further important object the provision of means in a cuff holdingdevice for automatically locking the extendible shank when in a contracted relation to prevent accidentalextension thereof. Other objects, advantages, 'and features of theinvention will be hereinafter more particularly described and for a ciearer understanding of the invention,-attention directed tothe several embodiments'illustrated inthe accompanying drawing in which:

Fig.1 is a perspective view of the'cufi holding device according to the invention wherein the cuff holding elements thereof arein a widely separated or open relation.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the cuff holding deviceshown locked in a collapsed or closed relation.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 however illustrating the cuff holding elements in a widely separated or open relation.

Fig. 4 is a view similar toFig. 2' however showing a modified form.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4 but illustrating the cuil holding elements in a complete open relation, and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing an- 40 other form of the invention.

Illustrative of the several embodiments disclosed the culf holding device C comprises spaced frames or elements IE and II each including a wall I2 provided with a peripheral lip I3 for retaining an ornamentalpiece I4.

Interconnecting walls I2. of the opposed frames is a telescoping instrumentality orshank, generally designated T, which comprises a shaft or stem I5, an inner sleeve I8, and an outer sleeve II. In the form illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, a head I8 is fixedly retained to the supporting wall I2 of the frame In by an annular flange I9 or by any suitable weld not shown but well known in the art. The other end 20 of the cylindrical stem I5 is provided with'a substantially spheroidal hollow or bulbous head or enlargement '2 I The inner slidable sleeve ortubular cylindrical member It is provided with an inwardly turned annular flange 22 slidably guided on the outer cylindrical surface of stem I5 and to prevent wobbling of the inner shell or sleeve I6 during its slidable movement along stem I5 the enlarged hollow portion or headtZI cooperates with the inner surfaces of the inner shell It to properly guide the latter.

Integrally merged with inner shell I6 is the enlarged hollow annular head 23 defining with the body of shell It an inclined annular shoulder 24 adapted to abut the annular stop shoulder 25 of the outer cylindrical sleeve or slidably guided tube 6! which has its outer end provided with an annular shoulder 26 appropriately fixedly anchored to the supporting wall I2 of the frame II by a suitable inwardly bent retaining flange 21 or by'any other means well recognized in the art.

As shown in "Fig. l, the telescoping shank T projects through and is sustained by the bottom walls of the reinforced striations 28 in the free ends 29 of .cuff 3i] straddled by the framemembers Ill and .II projected through the striations 28. InFig. 1, it will be observed that shank T is inlitsfully extended relation and consequently the 'free ends 29 of the cuff are widely spaced. In such "relation an arm of the wearer of the cuff may be readily projected therethrough even though the cuIT holding device has been attached to the latter. In' the fully opened or extended relation of the shank, the enlarged hollow end 2| of the stem I5 is against the stop shoulder 22 of the inner sleeve while the inclined shoulder 24 is against the annular stop shoulder 25.

With the wearers arm projected through the cuif, the free ends of the latter may be readily brought together and in this connection ornamental pieces I 4 are moved towards each other by finger pressure on the part of the wearer. Consequently outer tube I! which is guided by the enlarged head or collar 23 slides over the inner tube It. Thus the latter is telescoped within the outer tube II. During this operation however stem I5 is telescoped within the inner tube It and ultimately projects through collar 23 and moves past the spring and curved fingers 3| of the split socket 32 extending laterally from wall I2 of the frame II at which time collar 23 abuts socket 32 and the annular flange 22 is against wall I2 of the frame Ill. In other words the cuff holding device is now closed. In such relation the telescopic shaft is collapsed and locked against accidental extension by reason of the spring locking action carried into effect by complementary but disconnectable locking instrumentalities characterized by the enlargement 2| and the split socket 32.

To open the cuff holding device, the frames are manually urged apart whereby the split socket disengages and becomes free of the hollow enlargement 2| after which the shank may be fully extended as shown in Fig. 1 in which instance the arm of the wearer may be readily Withdrawn from the cuff without however removing the cuff holding device.

In the form according to Fig 5, the inner tube I6 of the telescopic shank T includes an annular terminal lip or flange 33 and the outer tube l1 embodies an annular terminal lip or flange 34. These lips cooperate to limit the projection of the inner tube 15 in respect to the outer tube [1 and also serve to uide relative slidable displacement thereof. The cylindrical stem I5 is slidably guided by the bore defined by the annular inturned flange 35 which serves as stop means for the cylindrical enlargement 36 slidably guided in the bore of inner tube It. Thisstem l5 it will be observed is fixedly anchored by the upset head 38 to the slotted hollow bulbous portion or spring member 39 having a plurality of spaced spring and arcuate fingers 49.

The cuff holding device according to Fig. 5 may be readily closed by moving frames l and H towards each other and towards the completion of the closing operation annular shoulder 34 yieldingly slips over and past the spring fingers 40 of. the members 39 secured to frame It. In other words annular flange 34 together with the split bulbous portion 39 constitutes complementary but disengageable locking components to hold the telescoping shank in a collapsed relation. The same may be said of the resilient and enlarged hollow portionZl and the split socket 32 illustrated in Fig. 3. In the locked position of the cuff holding device shown in Fig. 4 the enlargement 36 of the stem l and the annular flange 33 are against Wall 12 0f the frame II.

In other aspects the form according to Fig, 4 is along the lines of the form shown in Fig. 1.

In the form according to Fig. 6, the inner sleeve I 3 is provided with an enlarged annular collar 45 cooperating with an annular bead 46 of sleeve I! to limit slidable displacement of the inner tube l6 relative the outer tube IT. The inner end or lip of the outer tube I1 is provided with an annularly grooved terminal portion 48 and the opposite end of the tube I1 is integrally merged with frame l2. Stem I5 however is fixedly securedby upset head 49 to a reinforcing shell or boss 50 integrally merged with the wall [2 of frame IE. This boss 50 is nested within the slotted complementary locking member 39 fixedly carried by wall I2 and having the spaced and resilient fingers 40 of the type shown in Fig. 5. In the fully collapsed or nested relation of the shank the flared and grooved terminal portion 48 is resiliently snapped over the fingers 46 of its complementary locking member 39 and consequently these complementary locking elements prevent accidental extension or projection of the shank. To open the cufi holding device, the frame members thereof are urged apart to disengage the complementary locking elements thereof. In other aspects the form shown in Fig. 6 is along the lines of the form illustrated in Fig. 5 although in Fig. 6, if the shank is fully collapsed the enlargement 36 and the collar 45 are against ornamental piece It secured to frame H and for purposes of specification the frame or cufi retaining members and H may be considered as buttons and the extendible and contractible shank interconnecting the buttons may be said to be a telescopic link or telescopic connection.

Without further analysis, the foregoing disclosure will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it to various applications without omitting certain features, that from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly consti-tute the essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspect of the invention and therefore such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended withirrthe means and range of equivalency of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a pair of spaced cuff retaining members, a telescopic shank interposed between said members and comprising a shaft secured to one of said members and having an enlarged and substantially spheroidal head, a sleeve surrounding said shaft and comprising an annular flange for slidably guiding said shaft lengthwise of said sleeve and cooperating with said head to limit lengthwise displacement of said sleeve relative to said shaft, an enlarged cylindrical head extending from said sleeve and having a shoulder, a tube carried by the other member of said pair and surrounding said sleeve and slidably guided by said cylindrical head lengthwise of said sleeve, an annular flange ex tending from said tube and cooperating with said shoulder to limit lengthwise displacement of said tube relative to said sleeve, and a coupling secured to said last mentioned member and having a plurality of resilient and curved fingers for yieldably receiving and locking said spheroidal head to prevent lengthwise displacement of said sleeve relative to said shaft and said tube relative to said sleeve.

2. In combination, a pair of spaced cuff retaining members, a telescopic shank interposed between said members and comprising a cylindrical shaft secured to one of said members and having an enlarged and substantially spheroidal hollow head, a cylindrical sleeve surrounding said shaft and comprising an annular flange for slidably guiding said shaft lengthwise of said sleeve and cooperating with said head to limit lengthwise displacement of said sleeve relative to said shaft, an enlarged cylindrical head integral with and extending from said sleeve and having a shoulder, a cylindrical tube carried by the other member of said pair and surrounding said sleeve and slidably guided by saidcylindrical head lengthwise of said sleeve, an annular flange extending from said tube and cooperating with said shoulder to limit lengthwise displacement of said tube relative to said sleeve, and a split coupling secured to said last mentioned member and having a plurality of resilient and curved fingers for yieldably receiving and locking said spheroidal head to prevent lengthwise displacement of said sleeve relative to said shaft and said tuberelative to said sleeve.

WILLIAM RUBENSTEIN. 

